


Dealings in Death

by BrianPupper



Category: Hades (Video Game 2018)
Genre: Consensual Violence, M/M, Snuff, Temporary Character Death, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:21:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27111136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BrianPupper/pseuds/BrianPupper
Summary: “It’s just, I wonder what it would be like. Could an immortal even experience a peaceful death?”“Hypnos making someone sleep for aeons is about the closest we can get, I think…”“Hypnos isn’t Death, Thanatos, you understand what I’m asking?”
Relationships: Ares/Thanatos (Hades Video Game)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 119





	Dealings in Death

**Author's Note:**

> BIG Content Warning: This is a sexual snuff fanfic, but I think the vibe is different from most. After all, immortals don’t permanently die, and Death and War respect each other quite a bit. I hope you enjoy it!

“Has anyone ever killed you?”

Thanatos wasn’t sure what brought the question to mind. Ares seemed absolutely  _ delighted _ in the deaths of mortals, and it wasn’t as though Thanatos didn’t take utmost pride in his own dealings of death, he was just trying to understand his friend’s perspective.

  
“I suppose you could say that. Wounded, yes, but we immortals don’t exactly die in the same sense mortals do.” Ares ran his fingers over his spear when he spoke the name, “Hercules, I’m sure you know of him.”

Thanatos nodded. “Yes, I’ve heard of him. Still a sore spot, I suppose?”

“My place is dealing violence, not taking it. I’d respect him if he faced me alone, but he used Athena’s powers against me.” He murmured, deciding to change the subject before he got angry. Than didn’t deserve that side of him, he was the only one who made him feel  _ soft _ in a sense. “How about you… Have you ever experienced anything like death?”

“No…” He tilted his head. “I actually haven’t. Unless sleep counts. You know Hypnos, if you’ve ever been close to him, he’s cast his blasted spell on you. And sometimes he makes you sleep as long as he feels like. But nothing  _ violent _ .”

“Hm.” A curt nod from the war god, something was on his mind that he wasn’t saying.

“Come on now, you’ve been here for me through so much. Is something on your mind, Ares?” He paused. “Or-- we can talk about something else.” Than had been humiliated by Sisyphus and it wasn’t his favorite thing to talk about, either, but he had told Ares about it at length.

It turned out, Hercules was already not on Ares’ mind anymore.

“It’s just, I wonder what it would be like. Could an immortal even experience a peaceful death?”

“Hypnos making someone sleep for aeons is about the closest we can get, I think…”

  
“Hypnos isn’t Death, Thanatos, you understand what I’m asking?”

“Me? Could I kill a god? Or… Put them out for a bit? I… Suppose.” His hand tightened on his scythe as he thought about it, floating a bit higher in the air.

  
“Didn’t mean to make you nervous, lad.”   
  
“Oh, stop.” He flushed slightly, moving back down and looking at him. “Are you saying you want me to try it? On you? If you’re saying that, just say it, Ares.”

“Perhaps I’m more cowardly than you, at times.” His lips curled into a smirk, “You make me nervous, Death. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is, yes… What do you say?”

He let out a soft sigh, intrigued by the request, though something was gnawing at him. “I can… Try it. I’ll have to ask you a few questions first, and of course we’re doing this  _ my  _ way, so you’ll have to relax and cooperate. I’m not going to strangle you, Ares, is what I’m saying.”

Ares nodded, his gaze prompting Than to go ahead and ask.

“Alright then. First question is, when you were hurt by Hercules, did you… wind up somewhere else? In the Underworld, when a god is slain they come through the Styx and back into the House of Hades. My brother would usually be there welcoming them.” He smirked, thinking about how _embarrassingly_ awkward some of Hypnos’ greetings were, then shaking his head. “So did anything like that happen to you?”

“I can’t be sure, Than. I believe I wound up home on Mount Olympus. I was taken there by the other Olympian gods. I was gone for a moment, then I was back, but it doesn’t seem like I disappeared. And I certainly didn’t descend into the Underworld. I’m not sure that’s possible.” He looked like his heart ached at the last phrase, and Than had to bite his lower lip not to say something about how much he wished Ares were down there. Too much, too much. He didn’t want to come on too strong.

  
Even though he  _ was  _ about to kill him.

“So you’ll probably end up there. Or here, but need time to recover, right?”

“Probably. I’ll have to tell… Someone what we’re doing, just in case.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “They aren’t exactly happy with me at the moment.”

“When are they ever? That’s probably why I like you so much.” Death managed another chuckle, tapping his chin in thought, crossing his legs as he sat in the air. “Sounds like you should tell somebody, in case things go out of my hands-- and my realm. Might I suggest Aphrodite? I know you hold many of her secrets.” He wasn’t suggesting blackmail, just a sense of trust. Of course, Ares first thought was…   
  
“I would never hold that against her,  _ Thanatos. _ Don’t insinuate that I would.”

“I don’t mean…” He sighed and rolled his eyes. “Not everything involving trust is  _ blackmail _ , Ares.”

“Right…” He paused. “I think she may be my best bet.”

“Final question. Will you return the favor, then?”

“What in Zeus’ name do you mean by that, Than?”

“Show me what it’s like to hurt? Charon and Hypnos owe me one. I can tell them, and they’ll get me back home safe without telling Hades.”

Ares paled slightly, swallowing, his gaze shifting away from him. “Than, I don’t know if I could do that.”

“Do I make you soft, O God of War?” Than floated closer and traced his fingers along his cheek, leaving him cold, but relaxed, his shoulders dropping. Ares hadn’t even realized he was tense. The question had caught him off guard.

He gripped Than’s hand tightly, holding it to his cheek and sighing. “You do, and I’m tired of pretending you don’t. But as you’ve honored my curiosity, I’ll honor yours.”

He smiled, satisfied. “Good. Next time I see you, be sure you’ve spoken to Aphrodite.”

* * *

  
  


Thanatos wondered if Ares created the work for him on purpose. Time was difficult for most gods to track, but Thanatos was aware it had barely been a week since their talk, and  _ suddenly _ , there was a bloody battle with countless souls to reap. Than never really looked  _ amused _ , but he was particularly unamused by this stunt, though he was aware Ares would have gladly done it for any occasion. Those creative differences were getting to him, but perhaps it would allow him to work up the nerve to do what he’d agreed to.   
  
After the last souls were on their way down the River of Styx, Than returned to the surface, looking in their usual meeting place. There he was, in his usual feral state after battle, rushing to greet Than with a strong embrace.

Than returned the embrace, but reluctantly, muttering, “Bribing me to the surface with more souls is like putting a stack of paperwork on my desk and saying  _ it’s a gift, for you, my love _ .” His voice dripping with sarcasm.

“What do you expect, Thanatos? I bring you what I can bring you… Besides, this has been something I was influencing since before our little talk. I knew you’d be there, though, so I talked to Aphrodite as soon as I realized the mortals were preparing for war.”

  
“Well, lucky for you, Hypnos never shuts up, so I did have a chat with him, and Charon. You know, Charon isn’t much of a talker, but I get the feeling he was surprised with my frivolity.”

Ares took a breath, taking out a bottle of Ambrosia he had been saving. “Well. I brought this for the occasion. Would you like to share it, and then get to work?”

Thanatos was taken aback-- the idea of indulging in something reserved for the Olympians made him  _ giddy _ with excitement… And the fact that Ares had brought it for him sent shivers of affection down his spine. He blinked. “There’s no way anyone will know?”

“No  _ way _ , friend.”

“I might need it to go through with this.” He admitted, crossing his legs, ‘sitting’ in the air once again as Ares took the first swig and passed it in his direction.

Even as cold as Death was, the liquid warmed him to the bone, and he felt a sense of relaxation, like the pile of work he always had to handle was not on his shoulders any longer. He had another long sip, but remembered not to be too indulgent, as to share the kind gift with the god he was about to  _ kill _ .

  
As they indulged in the drink, Than started to grow comfortable with the thought of giving his gentlest and most peaceful death to the least peaceful god. He would be back, after all, and Than would stay with him until he was sure that he returned and was back here, in their meeting place. He pulled the god of war into his arms and started to trace his fingers along those strong muscles, taut and made for fighting. Than’s own power was still surging from earlier, and he didn’t make a move to repress it like usual. His nails scraped softly over Ares’ chest, causing him to relax and kneel on the ground in front of him.

“Feeling weak, there?” Than asked.

“Am I supposed to?”

“Yes. But are you? I’ve never done this to a god before...speak up when you can, though there will be a point where you can’t.” He paused, handing the bottle back to him. “Have some more ambrosia.”

Ares took a slow sip, huffing slightly. It was like breathing was more difficult. “Yes, I feel weak. It’s not like anything I’ve felt before.”

“Do you want me to keep going?”

“Yes. Slowly. I’m enjoying this.”

“Ugh.” He shook his head, feigning judgement, but he was smiling. He moved to rest on the ground and closed his eyes as he leaned into Ares’ shoulder. He took the laurels from behind his ears, dragging his fingers along his scalp, stroking his hair. Ares’ eyes were closing, exhaustion settling in from Than’s powers.

“Tired… Sleep? Is it the same?”

“Time doesn’t affect gods… So I’m just going to make you weaker. Like Hypnos, but different. I hope it’s good for you.” He lay Ares’ head in his lap slowly, giving his shoulders a slow massage. “And you know, I adore you. I’m not sure I’d do this for anyone else.”

“I’d ask no one else to do it for me.” He murmured, brushing Than’s robes upward and pressing his lips to his thigh. They felt closer to the same temperature. Normally his lips were warm and Than’s skin was cold, but it was all melting into one feeling.

The kiss made Than pause, letting out a soft groan, fingers tightening in his hair. “Are you really going to turn me on while I’m  _ killing  _ you, Ares?”

“Would I be war incarnate if I didn’t?” His eyelids barely lifted, staring up at him. “Death is an absolute  _ pleasure _ , Thanatos. Admit that to yourself.”

“Not the same way as you. But I don’t think this is anything like my day to day, so…” He leaned down and took Ares’ hand, holding it tightly and squeezing. “You can touch me a little. If you want to.” He let Ares’ hand rest on his thigh again. It wandered, softly, not imposingly. He wasn’t trying to start anything, he was far too  _ tired _ for that, but to feel Than growing aroused brought a smile to his lips. He stroked along the length of him, which was causing him to regain some power because of how weak it made Than.   
  


“Damnit.” He was embarrassed, realizing that Ares was getting stronger. “I said no fighting back.”

“I’m not, it’s all you, getting weak at my touch, using less of your strength.” He laughed. “I can stop.”

“No, no, I’ll get used to it. Just don’t expect to finish anything before you go.” He squirmed, but managed to regain his focus, pressing his palms to Ares chest and dragging his fingers along his muscles again. Feeling Ares' hand weaken its grip made him gasp, but he didn’t let his focus slip this time. “Say goodnight, Ares.” He whispered, slumping downward and sliding his hands down his abdomen, gripping his thighs until his legs went limp, pressing his lips to his softly.

Ares managed to kiss back, not exactly a  _ hard  _ kiss, but a hungry one. His mouth parted and he worked his tongue against Than’s, and again Death was caught  _ completely _ off guard.

Gods didn’t go down as quickly as humans, so things were interesting.

Than let out a moan as he struggled to return the kisses from the odd angle, adjusting himself and moving out from under him completely, now laying on top of Ares and pressing him to the soil. He wondered if he would travel down the Styx if he did it hard enough. He pushed more, his forearms pressed against Ares’ shoulders, his curiosity getting the better of him.   
  
Ares only sank into the ground a bit, nothing like the souls he reaped. Olympians being shielded from the Underworld probably had something to do with  _ that _ .

Still Than kissed him hard, and kept his hands on his hips, draining the life from him as his hands scanned higher on his body slowly. He squeezed his shoulders once again until his arms went limp, then slid down to his legs, realizing his arms were coming back to life again before he could completely stop them.   
  
“I’m… going to have to work faster. You heal instantly.” Than explained, breathing heavily between kisses. “Are you ready?”

“I’m ready, gods, I’m ready.” Ares moaned, groping Than’s hip with surprising strength.

Than slammed that arm down and pushed until it was limp again, then did the same right against the center of his chest, feeling the beating slow to a stop. He gripped his throat with his other hand, huffing slightly at the effort it took to exert this much of his power.

_ Gods, that feels good, _ Ares thought, but he was finally at the point where he couldn’t speak, his consciousness slipping as he fell into the deepest sleep he’d ever felt.

Finally, after a long moment, Ares stopped moving, his heart still, his body limp. Than shivered incessantly from the adrenaline rush. He tried to push him down to the Styx again, this time with all of his might, but the ground seemed to push back, telling him this wasn’t an option. He just wanted to take him home, finish the job, keep him from running off to Olympus, if that were even possible right now.

But it didn’t do a thing. The underworld was for mortals.   
  
“Alright…” He straddled him, his thighs around his waist, head resting on his chest, listening. Nothing, nothing, nothing. But his soul wasn’t splitting from his body, so Than knew he would be okay. It still terrified him to the point where he was damn near vibrating against his friend’s body.

He wrapped his arms around him and waited, softly kissing his chest. Maybe he had to bring him back himself. That wasn’t something he’d ever done.

“Ares?” He pressed his hand to his chest, “Come back now…”

He was fairly certain he hadn’t done it himself, but after a few minutes, the warrior’s heart was beating again. Likely due to the regeneration power that all Gods possessed. Than hadn’t  _ done _ anything, after all, he wasn’t sure he could bring the dead back to life.

He waited with him, something Than was good at. Some mortals took longer than others to die, as well, but they never came back. He was thankful they didn’t need to get the goddess involved, though no doubt she would be gushing about how the two of them shared a  _ strong  _ bond. Sometimes he wondered if this was her doing, how utterly smitten the two gods were with one another.   
  
Than was peacefully resting on Ares’ chest, listening to his heart beating back to normalcy when the Olympian finally arose. Death lifted his head, his cloak covering his eyes a bit until he adjusted it. “Ares, you’re back.” He smiled slightly.

Ares drew in a deep, shuddering breath, holding Than against his chest and squeezing tightly, his strength slowly returning. “You did it, didn’t you?”

“I did. No need to involve anyone else, you heal fine on your own, as it turns out. It was interesting. You stopped moving, heart stopped beating, you were quiet, but you didn’t really start to fall apart like humans do. You were just like that, for a little while, then you started to come back.”

“Well then. I’m surprised how much I enjoyed that, Than.”

“I’m not, you’re a bit of a strange man.” He laughed. “Though… I  _ will _ be shocked if I enjoy it your way. What do you say we give it a go?”

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Ares retrieved his spear from where it was leaning against a large tree, glancing over to Than, who had floated almost to the tops of the trees with nerves. “Come down now, it will be quick, and we’re going to fight for it.” He said, moving into a warlike pose, trying to hide his own nervousness.   
  
Than chuckled a little at that, realizing how high he’d gone, and slowly started to descend again, taking a breath. “Alright, fight? Should I go all out? What if I beat you?”

“You won’t.” He stepped back and took a breath, watching Thanatos’ movements so he could get a fresh perspective on what to prepare for. “But I expect you to give it your best shot. And tell me if you change your mind.”

“Well, I could easily cheat. Tell you I changed my mind and then get you.” He laughed.

“I would expect you to fight with more honor than that, friend.” Ares chuckled, shrugging his shoulders. “I’ll have you on the ground, then, and what should I expect? You’ll disappear, and then come back… how long does it take?”

Than had to think about it, rubbing the back of his neck. “I haven’t experienced it at all. I don’t know. Not long, I’d imagine. It takes a mortal soul a few hours, so no more than that. I can teleport back out of the house in just a few seconds, but… I wish Charon could  _ tell me _ things like this.” He laughed. “We understand each other but it isn’t as though there are words.”

“Well, as long as it takes. I’ll be here.”

The two men stepped back, preparing for battle, Ares brandishing his spear and shield. Than knew he could use his powers to stand a chance, but he was not skilled with war, nor fighting against anything as powerful as a god… Just the occasional pestersome souls in the underworld.

Than stayed in the air, watching as Ares began to approach, and trying his magic. The spell circle appeared under Ares, but the brief delay in the power taking hold was enough time for him to dart out of the circle and barely feel the weakness from it. The warrior lunged for Than and managed to miss him as he floated a bit higher into the air, which made Ares scoff. “I said fight me! Don’t run away.” Nonetheless he was enjoying the chase. Easy prey was not worthy prey.

It was true, though, he couldn’t just run away. He moved back down, watching as Ares threw his spear in his direction. He narrowly managed to intercept it with the blade of his scythe, flinging it back toward him. Ares picked it up once again, rushing up to Than, the scythe almost catching him though he blocked it well with his shield.   
  
“You won’t beat me, Than, but your spirit is invigorating.” Ares was beaming, proud of his dear Death--he could hold his own. He pushed the shield forward in a sudden thrust and had Than backed against a tree with his own scythe. They were both trembling as steel clashed steel, both men putting weight into either side.   
  
“You could do it, if you wanted to.” Than growled, seeing his free hand holding the spear, though his shoulder was leaning heavily into the shield.

“Is it bad that I’m enjoying this a little much?” Those red eyes were on fire, piercing into Than’s gold ones, which were no longer tinged with fear. Was there a bit of  _ bloodlust _ in those eyes? Did gentle death have a bloodthirsty side to him as well? Ares grinned behind his shield and pushed his spear forward, barely nicking Than’s arm, shoving it off kilter so he could disarm him. The scythe went flying to the ground, and Than pushed so hard against the shield with his arms that he nearly knocked Ares off his feet.

“I have you now.” Ares convinced himself aloud, catching his footing and slamming Than into the tree with the shield, bruising his arms and chest as he pinned him down. He had a good grip on the spear now, and he was ready. “I’ll wait for you, friend.” He held his arm back, thrusting the spear forward, but Than  _ somehow _ managed to twist his body back, the shield tearing his robes and his flesh as he writhed just out of the spear’s way, which sent it straight into the tree bark.   
  
In this process, Ares had let up on pressing him down and he managed to get completely free. Than teleported to get his scythe again, his wounds searing in pain. He had to  _ at least _ give Ares some gashes to heal while he was waiting. Than flew forward again as Ares charged at him, then teleported at the last second and managed to slice into Ares’ back as he turned around. It wasn’t a fatal wound by any means, but it was bleeding, that powerful god blood. “Aghhhh!” Ares roared in warlike rage.

Than grinned darkly, whispering, “Now let me have it, you feral bastard..”

“Ahhh, you little…” Ares went for him faster and harder than before, bashing the shield over his head in a dizzying blow and pinning him to the ground while the metal clang still rung in his ears. “Now I have you, die by my spear, boy.” He threw his shield away so they were two writhing bodies, clothing torn, still shielded by some armor. Luckily Ares had his eye on the soft spot of his chest this entire time, and he didn’t hesitate, thrusting his mighty spear through flesh and bone, causing Than to cry out in agony.

“That’s it. You’re through, you fought like a  _ god _ . Come back to me Than. I’ll be waiting.” He huffed, twisting the spear in his chest, cracking the ribs even further, watching him writhe and gasp for breath as blood dripped from his lips. Than was dying, a bit slowly, but quicker than Ares had. Past the first few pangs of mind-numbing agony, there was some kind of numbness, as though his senses simply couldn’t process any more, his faculties shutting down.

_ Fuck, die already _ , he thought. Gods really did take far too long to die, and when it was a god you adored, it wasn’t easy to watch. Ares found himself calming, leaning down against his friend’s shoulder and stroking his hair. A pool of liquid had quickly formed under the war god’s knees. He assumed it was just a pool of blood, but there was far too much, and it flowed differently. He felt like he was falling, himself, but he didn’t move back in fear. He watched, brave with warlike stoicism as Thanatos descended into the Styx right before his eyes.   
  
Ares leaned forward, kneeling in a pool of blood and river water, catching his breath. His own blood mingled with Than’s, dripping down his shoulder, having gushed in rivulets for a few moments before his godlike healing kicked in. Now it dripped slightly, still trickling down his arm. He collapsed onto his side, still holding his spear, the scythe and shield scattered somewhere nearby.   
  
The tops of the trees looked more beautiful than before.

* * *

  
  


The next thing Than knew he was hearing Charon’s voice, floating in the river, his chest still stinging from the massive wound he had sustained. He touched his body, feeling that it had put itself back together already. “How close are we?” He looked up at his brother, letting out a long sigh and leaning against the edge of the ferry boat.

“Haaaaahhhh.” He gave his usual harrowing groan, which Than estimated to mean it wouldn’t be long. He closed his eyes, letting out another long sigh. Charon’s oar came to rest on his back in a sort of comforting posture.

“Thanks, brother.” He smiled. He would take the rest of the ride, feeling too weak to teleport right now. Once he was home, he would be okay. The ride was a healing thing in many ways, and he wanted the full experience.   
  
When they arrived back home, Hypnos had put a spell on the house for just a brief moment, letting them all sleep. He took a moment to greet Hypnos, who was  _ gushing  _ about how the list mentioned  _ Ares, the god of war _ , and asking him what it was like.

  
“I don’t think you can possibly imagine the pain.” He admitted, rubbing his chest, which still felt achy.

Hypnos laughed so loudly he may have woken up the house if he didn’t have full control over their consciousness at the moment. “Oh,  _ wow _ , you’ll be okay brother! Say, when you get back up there, can you get me his autograph?”

Than couldn’t help but smile, though he also had to roll his eyes, patting Hypnos’ curls and scratching his head as if he were Cerberus. “I’ll see what I can do.”

Traveling without his scythe felt dangerous and wrong, so Than went to get his spare, then went to tell Hypnos he could wake everyone up in a few minutes. Then away he went, vanishing to the surface.

Ares was still laying there, staring at the trees, though his wounds had healed and he had tear stains on his cheeks. It brought him an emotion he was incredibly unfamiliar with to kill a friend like that. When Thanatos finally came back, Ares sat up and fixed the laurels back in his hair, combing his fingers through it, as if trying to look good for him. “You’re back.”   
  


“I am.” Than floated over to him, letting a hand ghost over War’s face, tender, wiping away some of the blood splatters. No doubt, Than’s blood. “I didn’t know anything could hurt that much.”

“I’d apologize, but you had to have been  _ warned _ …”

“I was, I was… You can never be quite prepared, is all.” He watched as Ares tilted his head, the two staring into one another’s eyes, a deep bond shared between them. “Thank you. You’re the only one I can be vulnerable around. With you, Ares, I’m not afraid to hurt.”

“You were a worthy opponent. You fight absolutely dirty, Thanatos, and I love you for it.” He grinned, pressing his lips against his and cupping Than’s face with both hands. He let the kiss linger for a long moment before slowly parting with him.

“Mm.” Than returned the kiss briefly, murmuring against his mouth, “I hope you’re not offended that I don’t think I can do  _ that _ again.”

Ares laughed and shook his head. “Not one bit. There are too many other things I want to do with you. But I hope you’re as glad we did it as I am.”

“I am. When you’re immortal, new experiences are hard to come by.” Than paused, knowing there was something more he wanted to say, but stumbling on the words. “I… I mean. You’re…” He sighed. “I’m terrible with words. It was magic. Raw, painful, magic. You brought out something in me I didn’t think was there.”

“Maybe I can keep teaching you to fight. Just not end it in a bloodbath the same way.” Ares shrugged.   
  
“It would be a good skill to sharpen.”   
  
“Or I can try to bring out that hunger in other ways, hm?”   
  
“Ares…” Than bit his lip, trying not to smile again. Damn war god getting the best of him. “That’s already in the cards, isn’t it?”

“Only if you want it, little death.”   
  
Than finally broke, snickering. “Stop calling me that.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed my work, feel free to follow me on Twitter. I literally never post, but we can DM and bounce fanfic ideas off of each other or even write something together. I love this fandom and have so few friends in it! @brianpupper


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